Dawn Parry » Politics in Newport East

Yes, we can!

dawn — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 16:29:13 +0000

The Liberal Democrats would have you believe that they are the only party that can offer change in Newport East.

They claim that voting Conservative just helps Labour win.

This is nonsense!

In the European Elections, just 232 votes separated the three main parties in Newport East. Just 57 more votes and we’d have come second.

Ed Townsend has the audacity to suggest that voting Tory will somehow be a wasted vote. I don’t think that any vote is ever wasted, and I can assure the people of Newport East that by voting Conservative you will make a real difference and, together, we will be able to bring the change to Newport East that we so desperately need.

European Election Results 2009 – Newport East

Labour’s Chaos on Cuts

dawn — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 07:24:02 +0000

Labour’s economic policies are difficult to understand at the best of times. At the moment, however, they’re twice as hard to follow because they are in polar opposition and in such stark contrast to one another as to be laughably chaotic!

There’s the Treasury and Alistair Darling saying that we need to make spending cuts and then there’s Prime Minister and the rest of the Government who seem to just want to keep on spending your money.

Ed Balls is saying that education spending will carry on rising while Alistair Darling is saying the complete opposite.

Then there’s Peter Mandelson who is saying that it’s too early to make cuts, while at the same time cutting more than £300 million from his departmental budget.

Wild spending cuts are not good for anyone. What we need now in this country is to eliminate waste; anything we don’t need, let’s get rid of. We need the NHS, we need a strong educational system, we need to defend ourselves, but at the same time, we need to reduce our deficit before our entire economy collapses. The simplest way of doing this is not to slash 20% from this budget and 10% from that, but to stop managing the budget from the top down.

Does the Chancellor know what the Royal Gwent Hospital needs more money for, and where it could afford to take cuts from? Of course he doesn’t. We need to cut public spending, but let’s not destroy generations of progress in doing so. Give Aneurin Bevan Health Board a budget and let them control it. They know where to make their own cuts.

If you want to find out more about Labours wildly inconsistent plans for cuts and spending increases, have a look at: http://www.conservatives.com/labourchaosoncuts/

I Am PRO MERITOCRACY

dawn — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 00:46:31 +0000

I believe in meritocracy that is not limited to academic excellence.

“Meritocracy” means “an elite group of people whose progress is based purely on ability and talent rather than on class, privilege or wealth” (dictionary.com).

I was utterly dismayed when I read that what I’d “tweeted” had been twisted and slanted to create a very different picture.

Yesterday’s Daily Mirror stated “A Tory election candidate has exposed her party’s elitism – by insisting Labour is wrong to give ordinary kids the chance of a university education.” I wrote and believe no such thing. I believe passionately that everyone, regardless of wealth, privilege or class should be encouraged and given the opportunity to go to university if it will enhance their lives and help them to achieve their goals and ambitions. I do not believe however that university suits everyone and I feel that many young people would benefit more from learning a skill via apprenticeships or other vocational course.

Currently, our students have to pay a great deal of money to gain their degrees at universities and many cannot find a job at the end of it. Often, they leave uni saddled with a debt of over £16,000, with a degree that whilst possibly academically challenging is of little value to future employers and thus they have difficulty in finding a job. Yet those who choose to leave school, acquire a skill and start to earn a living are made to feel as though they’re second class citizens.

Everyone in society is valuable, worthy and can earn a living without necessarily needing a degree from a university to justify their existence.

I am saddened that Labour MP, Jessica Morden has made unfounded accusations of class elitism against me and my party.

I am from Pentre in the Rhondda Valley and grew up in a typical terraced house with an outside toilet. I went to the local primary school and then to the local comprehensive school. I grew up in a Labour held valley where many people aspired to and achieved a university place. After leaving school a great number chose to apply for work in any one of the then thriving factories (under a then Tory government). Those factories used to produce the majority of clothes for Marks and Spencer’s…yes, they DID used to be made in the UK and there were valuable employment opportunities. We weren’t starting out in life saddled with debt. We wanted to enhance our life chances through study or skill learning and via the grant system were given every opportunity to do so freely. Everything was dependant on ability only.

We must not let young people feel failures in society just because they don’t go on to university and acquire a degree. We have a duty of care to all of our young in society, to ensure we provide every learning opportunity to prepare them for the future to which they aspire, enjoy and succeed within, whatever that may be. University or apprenticeships. Earning a living is worthy. We will always need electricians and we will always need scientists. One is as important as the other in our society.

As for the host of other inaccuracies in the Mirror report and the Western Mail, e.g. my music etc.,that can wait for another day. This time I’ll give the reporter 3/10 for effort.
“Could do better”

A New Dawn for Newport East

dawn — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 22:48:14 +0000

Labour has neglected Newport East. We are hemorrhaging job losses in the region. Labour have taken it for granted that the Welsh people will continue to vote for them and follow them blindly. Labour has not earned the vote nor the respect of the electorate.

Just look at the job losses affecting Newport East : Chepstow Forensic Lab, Tesco relocation, Ashton Paper Mill, Llanwern steel works, Bosch (900 job losses!), Inland Revenue, Magor Brewery…..LABOUR MUST GO!

LABOUR IS NOT WORKING - it’s TIME FOR CHANGE